Booster system



Feb. 16, 1943. E. A. ROCKWELL BOOSTER SYSTEM Original Filed June 2'7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQ R ATTORNEY Feb. 16, 1943. E ROCKWELL 2,311,576

BOOSTER SYSTEM Original Filed June 27, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 16, 1943. E. A. ROCKWELL BOOSTER SYSTEM Original Fi led June 27, 19:55

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR dflvdnw Feb. 16, 1943. I E. A. ROCKWELL BOOSTER SYSTEM 5 Sheebs-Sheet 4 Original Filed June 2'7, 1935 Z OlwENTOR Feb. 16, 1943. E. A. ROCKWELL BOOSTER SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed June 27, 1935 ATTORINI EY Patented Feb. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE BOOSTER SYSTEM Edward A. Rockwell, Forest Hills, N. Y., assiznor to General Auto Parts Corporation, a corporation of Delaware 13 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to a valve and booster system by means of which modulated hydraulic pressure can be obtained for the operation of accessories for automotive vehicles and other power installations.

This is a divisional application of my application upon Valve and booster system, Ser. No. 234,637, filed October 12, 1938, Patent No. 2,265,- 817, granted December 9, 194 1, which is a division of my application upon Electro flow power supply systems, Ser. No. 28,699, filed June 2'7, 1935, Patent No. 2,136,638, granted November 15, 1938.

The object of my invention is to provide a valve and booster apparatus so as to provide an effective system for the supply of power wherever desired but particularly in connection with automobiles as, for instance, in the operation of automobile accessories. By means of my invention the different accessories of an automobile may be effectively operated by power in addition to the manual power applied thereto, but coordinated in extent to the manual pressure applied. It is particularly useful in connection with the operation of automobile brakes of any desired character, whether mechanical power brakes or hydraulically operated brakes. A further object is to provide a liquid medium for transmitting the additional power, and which is controlled by the presence of sealing rings carried by the relatively moving parts. The rings are so constructed as to be unaffected by the liquid used, and preserve completely-tight joints without leakage and without the interposition of springs.

My apparatus, furthermore, is based on the use of a liquid under pressure, which is, however, utilized at any given time, in only small amounts of the liquid, but which has a storage capacity under pressure so that there is no appreciable lag in the operation of the apparatus. Also, there is used a system of valve seals permitting the use of a low viscosity liquid.

Further objects of my invention will appear from the detailed description of the same hereinafter.

While my invention is capable of being carried out in many different ways, for the purpose of illustration I have shown only certain forms of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an automobile equipped with my invention as applied to the operation of brakes;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, enlarged, showing the booster unit for the brake;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same taken on line 33;

Fig. 4 is another vertical section of the same taken on line 4-41;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section showing the booster unit partly in section;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation showing the said booster unit;

Fig. '7 is a similar view showing the position of the levers after the boosting power has been applied and the parts have come to a static position with the pressure of the booster balanced against the foot pressure;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the booster unit shown as applied to the operation of the hydraulic brake system;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section showing the position of the valve in the booster when closed; and

Fig. 10 shows the arrangement for connecting the rear wheel brakes to the forward end of the booster cylinder.

Referring to the mechanically operated system for operating a brake, I have shown, in Fig. 1, an automobile 8 having a frame 2 for connection in the usual way with front wheels 3 and 4 and rear wheels 5 and 6. The front wheels 3 and i are provided with brakes I and 3, of any desired type, which are operated by a cross-shaft 9. Similarly, the rear wheels 5 and 3 are provided with brakes id and ii of any desired type, which are operated by a cross-shaft l2. The shafts 3 and 12 are provided with operating levers i3 and I l, respectively, which lead to the opposite ends of a rocker lever i5 carried near the center thereof upon a cross-shaft It, on one end of which there is an operating lever ii. The lever ii, at its end, is provided with a pull-back spring l3 fastened to the frame 2 in any desired way, and a link l9 which leads to a pivot 20. On the pivot 20 there is also carried amanually-actuated floating lever 2i which is connected by a pivot 22 to a link 23, pivoted in turn to a brake lever 24 which is pivoted on a shaft 24a, the outer end of which is connected by a link 25 to a brake pedal 23 supported on a pivot 21 carried in a bracket on a fioor-board 28. When pressure is applied to the brake pedal 26 the lever 2i is moved upon the pivot 20 as the reaction point and thence transmittthe manual movement to a link 33 which has an adjustable pivotal support in a curved slot 34 at the end of said lever 21. The link 33, in turn, is connected to a lever 35 which is tight on a shaft 36 which is journaled in a rear booster housing 31, mounted by means of bolts 38 and 39 upon any desired part of the chassis. The said rear booster housing 31 is closed at the rear with a cover plate l3 secured thereon by screws 44 and the rear booster housing 31 is secured by screws 45 to a main booster housing 46 closed at the forward end thereof with a screw-cover 31.

The liquid for transmitting the boosting power is of any desired character, as, for example, the usual hydraulic brake fluid, but may, for instance, be comprised partly of castor oil, and preferably more castor oil for lubrication than in the usual hydraulic brake liquid, and in which there is carried a large amount of a constituent to prevent freezing under all atmospheric conditions, such, for example, as an alcohol. The alcohol added thereto also makes the liquid less viscous. This liquid is supplied under pressure by an inlet port 48 in the top of the main booster housing 48 and thence into a cylindrical chamber 33 therein in which a plunger 60 is arranged to reciprocate. The plunger III has an annular recess ii. the two ends of which are closed by sealing rings 52 and 53 which are of any desired composition, but preferably a rubber, and for this purpose there may be advantageously used what is known as "rosin rubber such as is used in hydraulic brakes and which is unaffected by the liquid which conveys the power, as above referred to. It will be noted that each of these rings 52 and 53 has an outer sealing lip, or flange, 54, which prevents any leakage around the periphery of the same, but which, because of its small size, does not exert undue friction. Also, the inner portion of the ring is provided with a longer lip, or flange, 55 which retains the ring against the plunger to prevent any leakage beneath the same. The flanges 54 and 55 are sealed by opposing radial pressures. Due to the opposed faces of the rings 52 and 53, the presence of the liquid in the annular space 49 will not move the plunger 50. From this point the liquid, under pressure, passes by a series of radiating ports 56 to an internal annular recess 57 in which there are two annular T-shaped sealing rings 58 and 53 of the same kind of rubber as above, carrying outer circular shoulders to prevent their entering the valve ports hereinafter described, said rings being clamped in place so as to produce 'eflectively-sealing internal surfaces of a reduced area, by means of rings 60, BI and 62 and a perforated spacing ring 63, with the aid of a hollow head sealingring clamping means 64 screw-threaded into the end of the plunger 50, the edges of the seals 58 and 53 being beveled on their innermost edges to permit the rubber to expand into the corners under pressure and so as to prevent the inner peripheries from exerting too much friction in the movement of the valve 61. In this way sticking is prevented. In the interior of the plunger 50 there is provided at the other end, a hollow screw-threaded plug 65 carrying a spring 66 therein which tends to press towards the rear a tubular valve 61 having a shoulder 63 to act as a stop against a shouldered bore 63, in which the tubular valve 61 reciprocates. Near the rear end of the tubular valve 61 there are a plurality of radiating ports III which communicate with a tapered inlet valve recess 'll' leading to the exterior of the tubular valve and so as to establish communication with the annular space 51 when the valve 61 is moved forwardly. The forward movement of said valve 31 is accomplished manually by pressure exerted upon a movable closure in the form of a squared port-closing member 12, which is adapted to close an outlet valve port 12a, the rearmost end of which is smaller in area at the place where it contacts with the member I2 than the area at the forward end of the valve to prevent chattering. The over-balancing effect of the spring 66 also tends to prevent the chattering effect. The member 12 is operated by the movement of a squared plunger I3 held in the head 64 by a screw H and which has an operating stem 15 contacting with the end of a lever member 13 tight on the shaft 36. When the liquid under pressure is admitted to the interior of the tubular valve 61 by the forward movement of the latter, due to the movement of the lever l6 by the brake pedal, the recess II will be brought into communication with the annular recess 51 admitting the oil under pressure to v the bore within the tubular valve 61 so that the pressure of the liquid will then be exerted through the opening in the closure 85 against the cover 41 at the front end of the booster and the pressure thus produced at the front end of the plunger 50 will cause said plunger to move rearwardly until the pressure on the plunger has substantially equalized the pressure applied by the foot, it being understood that when this takes place the spring 63 will have closed the ports 10 by causing the sealing ring 59 to overlie the external cylindrical portion of the tubular valve 61, as shown in Fig. 4, inasmuch as the spring 66 exerts a slight pressure on the tubular valve 61 towards the right and the foot yields slightly to permit this. The pressure thus exerted on the plunger 50 by the liquid at the forward end thereof will be transmitted to a forked lever H which is carried by a sleeve 11a located around the shaft 33 and which sleeve 11a has tight thereon a lever 13 connected to the pivot 20 so that a boosting force will be applied to the brake operating link l9 connected to all of the wheels of the automobile, commensurate with the extent of the foot pressure applied by a pedal 26. A spring 18a on a stud Ilb on the sleeve 11a tends to restore the levers I! and 11 which have the same pivotal point at 36 to their initial positions and enables the lever 16 to be moved initially without moving the lever 11. To prevent leakage around the shaft 33 and the sleeve of the lever 11, said shaft 36 is journaled within the sleeve 11a on roller bearings and leakage at this end of the sleeve Ila is prevented by a flanged sealing ring 18 of the rubber material above referred to, and the same end of the sleeve 11a is sealed by a similar sealing ring 13d around the sleeve 11a and within the housing 31. The other end of the sleeve 11a is journaled in a sealed socket in a cover plate Be on one side of the housing 31. when it is desired to release the pressure from the brakes the decrease of the pressure on the pedal 23 Will cause the release, partly or wholly, of the lever 16, thereby permitting the pressure liquid to spill out or escape past the squared plunger 13 to an outlet port 19 in the bottom of the rear housing 31, and thence to a tube 80 which leads to a low pressure port ill in a pressure accumulator and supply reservoir 32, which is made of thin metal and has appurtenant parts as shown in detail in the parent Patent No. 2,136,638, above referred to. A supply reservoir 82 is mounted upon a pump casing 83 and is supported from any suitable part of the chassis. The low pressure liquid passes from the port 8| into the reservoir 82 and then to the pump casing 83.

to the pump which is driven by an electric motor I from which it is supplied through an outlet port I I by a flexible tube I I6 to a branch tube Ill leading to the inlet port 48 of the booster. For the starting and stopping of the pump nuts I28 and I30 are provided between which the end of a circuit wire I3I is clamped.

The circuit arrangement, including the electric motor I00 and the switch, comprises a battery I55, one side of which is connected to the ground I56 and the other side of which is connected by a wire I51 and a wire I58 to one pole I59 of the motor I00. The wire I3I leads to the remaining pole I60 of the motor I00. Preferably, also, this pole I60 is connected by a wire IBI to a dash light I62 connected by a wire I63 to the wire I58, so that whenever the current is being supplied to the motor I00, due to the lightened pressure in the liquid, the dash light I62 will be illuminated. Inasmuch as only very little liquid is utilized in the operation of the accessory there is only a very little drop in the pressure at any time, and, therefore, the dash light I62 will only be illuminated at infrequent intervals. During the time when the valve 61 is in closed position there is no escape of the liquid whatever.

When it is desired to apply the mechanism to the operation of hydraulically controlled automobile accessories, this may be readily done, as shown in Fig. 8. In this construction the parts are all arranged exactly as previously described herein, except that in this instance the power output, or booster action, is not accomplished by mechanical connections merely. In this instance the lower ends of the levers 11, in actuating the brake, are connected by a link I65 to a piston I65 in a master cylinder I66 of the same type as customarily used in connection with hydraulic pressure systems, said cylinder 165 having an adapter I61, a supply chamber I68 with a supply port I59, and a leakage-returnport I10, and a spring support Ill which serves to retract the piston I65 as well as the levers 11. The cylinder IE8 is connected by a hydraulic line I12 to a brake-operating line I13 leading to the front brake, which in this instance, it will be seen, are manually actuated as well as being boosted by the hydraulic pressure. In

this instance the rear brakes can be operated by an hydraulic line I14 leading from a port I15 in the forward end of the booster cylinder d6, which end of the cylinder would be otherwise normally closed by a plug I16. The hydraulic line 314, for the operation of the rear brakes, may operate the same at the rear of the car in substantially the same fashion in which the wheel brakes in the front of the car would be operated, that is to say, by admitt ng the liquid under pressure to the cylinder I11 which op-= erates a piston I18 connected to a lever I19 on the rear operating rod I2. However, if desired, instead of using a construction involving the cylinder HI and the piston I18, I may mount on the brake bands of each of the wheels, either in the front or in the rear, or both, a double cylinder I80 having therein two pistons I III and I82, which are connected, respectively, to brake shoes I83 and I85 so that the position of the brake shoes is controlled by the pressure supplied from the line I12, or whichever line is attached thereto.

In the operation of the apparatus, referring first to the operation of the brakes, when the pedal 26 is moved downwardly, this applies manual pressure to the brakes on the four wheels 01' the car through the lever 24, link 23, lever 2|, link I9, levers I1, l5, I3, I0, and shafts 9 and I2, but this movement will also move lever 2I to the left in Fig. 2 and through the link 33 move the lever 35 and the lever 16 to the left in said figure, thus causing the tubular valve 61 to move inwardly to the left in said figure, thus communicating the high pressure liquid, which is normally under pressure of 500 lbs. per square inch, from the annular chamber 09 to the interior of the tubular valve 61 through the recess 1i and thence to the rear of the plunger 50, which will result in the movement of the plunger 50 to the right in said figure, thereby acting on the lever 11 to exert an additional pull on the brake rod iii to the left in said figure. This pressure will increase until the pressure of the liquid at the left end of the tubular valve 61 in said figure exerted towards the right therein on the lever 16 equnlizes the amount of the pressure applied by the foot to the pedal 26, whereupon the tubular valve 61 will close the high pressure inlet by a movement to the right in said figure due to the restoring movement of the lever 18 to the left in said figure acting through the linlr 2| to restore the tubular valve 61 to lap position with regard to the piston 50. When the foot pedal is released partially or wholly from the foot pedal 26, the liquid under pressure will escape around the closure 12 and thence through the outlet port 19 by reverse modulation, the same as in forward modulation of the tubular valve 61 movements. This low pressure liquid will pass into the reservoir 82 and thence, after being changed to a high pressure fluid, it is supplied to the port 48. Also, upon failure of the high pressure fluid the brakes can still be applied manually through the link 23, lever 26 and link l9. Whenever pedal pressure is released from the link I9 the levers and iston 5d are returned to normal position by th spring IS. he pump, from which, when the current is on. the rotation of the pump will rapidly build up the pressure unti the circuit is again broken. While the current is on, the dash light I62 will show up but as soon as the current is broken it will, of course, cease to be lighted.

The hydraulic system, as in Fig. 8, will operate in a similar manner also, except that in this instance the power, which acts alone, or which acts as a booster if desired, is conveyed by the tubes to the four-wheel brakes so that by the operation of the piston, such as I18, lei, I82, the various parts are actuated with modulated pressure from the force supplied by the foot to the pedal,

While I have described my invention above in detail I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the same.

I claim:

1. A device, comprising a plunger adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure differing from the atmosphere to apply power, a Work-performing element associated therewith, a manually movable pressure liquid valve located there-within, said plunger having a spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve with the increasing pres sure on the plunger. and manual operating means having a connection to said valve and a connection to said plunger so as to coordinate the travel The low pressure liquid proceeds to of the plunger with the manual operating means.

2. A device comprising an actuator casing having a liquid inlet port, a piston actuator therein, a work-performing element associated therewith, an annular chamber on the interior of the actuator for receiving the liquid, and a T-shaped annular resilient sealing means at the opposite ends of said chamber. having an annular means for clamping each of the two sealing means so as to force at least a portion of each of them towards the interior of the actuator. said sealing means having areas on their interiors smaller than their exteriors.

3. A hydraulic apparatus for operating an automotive vehicle accessory, comprising a source of liquid under substantially uniform pressure, a manually movable lever member increasingly reactive to the increase of the liquid pressures applied thereby, an actuator, comprising a lever having the same pivotal point as said first mentioned lever and having a plunger associated therewith, for opera-ting the accessory, said plunger being operable by said liquid pressure, a spring located between said levers, and a valve mechanism therefor operable by said member and connected to the source of substantially uniform pressure, including a movable modulating valve associated with said plunger and a movable valve seat, so as to thereby modulate the force exerted by the actuator in accordance with the force exerted by said member and the force of the pressure liquid admitted from said pressure source.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, in which the valve comprises a laterally ported piston and the movable valve seat is comprised of a plunger having seals on opposite sides of said port.

5. A device, comprising a plunger adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure difiering from the atmosphere to apply power, a work-performing element associated therewith, a manually movable tubular pressure liquid valve located there-within, said plunger having a spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve with the increasing pressure on the plunger, manual operating means having a connection to said valve and a connection to said plunger so as to coordinate the travel of the plunger with the manual operating means, and a spring located between the valve and plunger, said plunger having an annular liquid-receiving recess and said valve having a passageway communicating with said recess.

6. A device; comprising a plunger adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure differing from the atmosphere to apply power, a work-performing element associated therewith, a manually movable pressure liquid valve located there-within, said plunger having a spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve with the increasing pressure on the plunger, and manual operating means having a connection to said valve and a connection to said plunger so as to coordinate the travel of the plunger with the manual operating means, said plunger having an internal annular liquid-receiving recess and a T-shaped liquid sealing ring associated with said recess, said ring having a reduced inner area provided with annular means for clamping the two sides of said ring towards each other.

7. A device, comprising a body member, a

plunger therein adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure differing from the atmosphere to apply power, a work-performing element associated therewith, a manually movable pressure liquid sliding tubular valve located there-within, said plunger having a spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve with the increasing pressure on the plunger, and manual operating means having a connection to said valve and a connection to said plunger so as to coordinate the travel of the plunger with the manual operating means, said valve having a pressure fluid inlet associated with the periphery of the sliding valve, said body member having a chamber at one end of the sliding valve to receive the pressure liquid from said valve, and said connection to said valve comprising a manually movable closure for the other end of said valve to control the release of the pressure liquid.

8. A device, comprising a plunger adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure diflering from the atmosphere to apply power, a work-performing element associated therewith, a manually movable pressure liquid valve located there-within, said plunger having a helical compression spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve with the increasing pressure on the plunger, and manual operating means having a connection to said valve and a connection to said plunger so as to coordinate the travel oi the plunger with the manual operating means.

9. A device, comprising a plunger adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure diflering from the atmosphere to apply power, a work-performing element associated therewith, a manually movable pressure liquid valve means, including an inlet valve and an outlet valve, located therewithin, said plunger having a spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve means with the increasing pressure on the plunger, and manual operating means having a connection to said valve means and a connection to said plunger so as to coordinate the travel of the plunger with the manual operating means.

10. A device, comprising a plunger adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure differing from the atmosphere to apply power, a work-performing element associated therewith, a manually movable pressure liquid valve means, including an inlet valve and an outlet valve, located therewithin, said plunger having a spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve means with the increasing pressure on the plunger, and manual operating means having a connection to said valve means and a connection to said plunger so as to coordinate the travel 01' the plunger with the manual operating means, said valve means comprising a tubular valve member acting as the inlet valve and an end closure movable relatively tolthe tubular valve member acting as the outlet va ve.

11. A device, comprising an actuator casing having a liquid inlet port, a plunger adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure diil'ering from the atmosphere to apply power, having an annular chamber on the interior of the plunger for receiving the liquid with resilient sealing means for the opposite ends of the chamber, said sealing means having annular clamping means forcing the resilient sealing means toward the center, a work-performing element associated therewith, a manually movable pressure liquid tubular valve located there-within, said plunger having a spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve with the increasing pressure on the plunger, manual operating means having a connection to said valve and a connection to said plunger so as to coordinate the travel of the plunger with the manual operating means, and a spring located between the plunger and valve.

12. A device, comprising a plunger adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure differing from the atmosphere to apply power, a workperform ing element associated therewith, a manually movable pressure liquid valve located there-within, said plunger having a spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve with the increasing pressure on the plunger, and manual operating means having a connection to said valve and a connection to said plunger so as to coordinate the travel of the plunger with the manual operating means, said valve having a passageway to admit the pressure liquid to one end of the plunger and having a member for controlling the escape of the pressure liquid at the other end thereof.

13. A device, comprising a plunger adapted to be moved by fluid under pressure differing from the atmosphere to apply power, a work-performing element associated therewith, a manually movable pressure liquid valve located there-within, said plunger having a spring support producing an increasing resistance to the movement of the plunger to produce an increasing reaction on the manually movable valve with the increasing pressure on the plunger, and manual operating means, including a floating lever, having a lever connection to said valve, a lever connection to said plunger, and a spring between said levers so as to coordinate the travel of the plunger with the manual operating means.

EDWARD A. ROCKWELL. 

